A note on the economy (totally aside from the discussion on possible changes to the vendors):
There is only a problem with the economy if you think that the in-game economy is a cash-based economy. It isn't.
The economy on Atys is an economy of abundance, not one of scarcity. (Even sup and OP mats are abundant at the current population.) Cash economies only really work in cases where there are limited supplies of raw materials (and for that matter, limited supplies of money).
Any attempt to "make the economy work," in the sense of having spending money for stuff be a prominent part of it, will fail in either a very short or medium short time. It had failed before the server merge, and the attempt to "fix" it failed within months thereafter (with the added burden on new players due to the high NPC prices). The only reasons we need dappers now are role-play items with NPCs (i.e. conversion, transport, and OP battles). Those do not reflect the true inter-player economy.
Comparing Atys to Terran human societies in a region of abundant raw materials (e.g. Northwestern Amerind societies, jungle dwellers in the tropics) you see craftsmanship as the most valued thing, and the craftsman(woman) generally gives the items away as a way of gaining prestige. If items are not given away, they are bartered.
-- I have only played one game that had a viable micro-economy. It had a programmer that worked full time at tweaking the economy to keep the money supply stable, developing sinks and in-game pleasurable sources, and he was always at least one step behind the players.--
As for Bina's stuff, I'm not sure you can blame that on the vendor system so much as the fact that she isn't playing any more.
P.S. I like the "warehousing option". I'd even be willing to pay a nominal rent for warehouse space. It would definitely put a stop to using the vendors as warehouses.
There is only a problem with the economy if you think that the in-game economy is a cash-based economy. It isn't.
The economy on Atys is an economy of abundance, not one of scarcity. (Even sup and OP mats are abundant at the current population.) Cash economies only really work in cases where there are limited supplies of raw materials (and for that matter, limited supplies of money).
Any attempt to "make the economy work," in the sense of having spending money for stuff be a prominent part of it, will fail in either a very short or medium short time. It had failed before the server merge, and the attempt to "fix" it failed within months thereafter (with the added burden on new players due to the high NPC prices). The only reasons we need dappers now are role-play items with NPCs (i.e. conversion, transport, and OP battles). Those do not reflect the true inter-player economy.
Comparing Atys to Terran human societies in a region of abundant raw materials (e.g. Northwestern Amerind societies, jungle dwellers in the tropics) you see craftsmanship as the most valued thing, and the craftsman(woman) generally gives the items away as a way of gaining prestige. If items are not given away, they are bartered.
-- I have only played one game that had a viable micro-economy. It had a programmer that worked full time at tweaking the economy to keep the money supply stable, developing sinks and in-game pleasurable sources, and he was always at least one step behind the players.--
As for Bina's stuff, I'm not sure you can blame that on the vendor system so much as the fact that she isn't playing any more.
P.S. I like the "warehousing option". I'd even be willing to pay a nominal rent for warehouse space. It would definitely put a stop to using the vendors as warehouses.
---
Remembering Tyneetryk
Phaedreas Tears - 15 years old and first(*) of true neutral guilds in Atys.
(*) This statement is contested, but we are certainly the longest lasting.
<clowns | me & you | jokers>